Joy Ballard, Sujani K Gamage, Leyte L. Winfield, S. Mooring
{"title":"Cognitive discourse during a group quiz activity in a blended learning organic chemistry course","authors":"Joy Ballard, Sujani K Gamage, Leyte L. Winfield, S. Mooring","doi":"10.1515/cti-2023-0007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cti-2023-0007","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Student-centered approaches are critical to improving outcomes in STEM courses. Collaborative learning, in particular, allows students to co-construct understanding of concepts and refine their skills in analyzing and applying information. For collaborative learning to be effective, groups must engage in productive dialogue. The work reported here characterizes the quality of dialogue during group quizzes in a first-semester organic chemistry course. The group quiz sessions were video and audio recorded. The recordings were transcribed and coded using the Interactive, Constructive, Active, Passive (ICAP) framework. The quiz prompts were analyzed using Marzano’s taxonomy. In this study, students within the group demonstrated varying degrees of interactional quality as defined by the ICAP framework. Our data also indicate that the level of constructive and interactive dialogue is highest and most consistent when prompts are at Marzano Level 3 or higher. Marzano Level 3 prompts required students to compare and contrast concepts or extend their understanding of concepts by developing an analogy. Any benefit derived from collaborative learning depends on the quality of dialogue during the group discussion. Implications of these results for research and teaching are offered.","PeriodicalId":93272,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry Teacher International : best practices in chemistry education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42366616","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Supporting first-year students in learning molecular orbital theory through a digital learning unit","authors":"David Johannes Hauck, Andreas Steffen, I. Melle","doi":"10.1515/cti-2022-0040","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cti-2022-0040","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract A large number of chemistry students drop out of their studies, often because of high requirements for content knowledge. Quantum chemical models of atomic bonding such as molecular orbital (MO) theory are particularly challenging. We aimed to develop an intervention on MO theory based on the Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning framework. First, students work independently with interactive learning videos. Then, they create concept maps about core concepts of MO theory. In this paper, we present the evaluation of this intervention in terms of content knowledge, considering person-specific characteristics. Additionally, we compare three different treatment groups with varying materials and group arrangements, and prospective chemistry teachers with other first-year students. Our results show that students can answer single-choice questions well with the prior knowledge from their first-year chemistry course. Answering open-ended questions is more difficult. Nevertheless, they can improve significantly in both categories by working with the learning videos; creating concept maps does not lead to significant content knowledge changes. There are also no significant differences between the three treatment groups, or between teacher students and other chemistry freshmen. Regarding prior knowledge, differences depending on gender and school-leaving grades can be measured, whereas the choice of courses in school has no effect.","PeriodicalId":93272,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry Teacher International : best practices in chemistry education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43219552","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A safe-at-home benzoin condensation from imitation almond extract","authors":"M. J. Bishop, Jon Vander Woude, Mike Bosscher","doi":"10.1515/cti-2023-0004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cti-2023-0004","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract COVID-19 remote learning forced instructors to scramble for meaningful organic laboratory experiences safe enough to perform at home. While resources are available for laboratory experiments at home, organic synthesis suffers from issues involving safety, availabilities of reagents, difficulties measuring reagents, and difficulties analyzing products. We report a new take on the classic benzoin condensation using safe and commonly available reagents, capable of being setup with commonly available kitchen materials, and displaying visible and distinctive product. This experiment is aimed at reinforcing concepts of carbonyl chemistry in the undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory.","PeriodicalId":93272,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry Teacher International : best practices in chemistry education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46494042","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Impact of cognitive abilities on performance in organic chemistry","authors":"Sachin Nedungadi, Sunaina Shenoy","doi":"10.1515/cti-2023-0012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cti-2023-0012","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The purpose of this study was to observe the relationship between students’ cognitive abilities and their performance in organic chemistry. We were interested in measuring whether some cognitive composites were more predictive than others on organic chemistry performance, whether group differences existed between males and females, and whether group differences existed between students with above and below average cognitive abilities. For Study 1 and Study 2, our participants included 48 and 60 sophomore organic chemistry students respectively. We used the Woodcock-Johnson Test of Cognitive Abilities-IV to measure cognitive composites. ACS organic chemistry exam scores and scores on an organic chemistry concept inventory were used to measure student performance. We ran a correlational analysis between the cognitive composites and organic chemistry scores, and t-tests for group comparisons. For Study 1, we found a significant moderate correlation between long-term retrieval and organic chemistry scores. For Study 2, we found a significant small to moderate correlation between comprehension knowledge and short-term working memory, with organic chemistry scores. We did not find any significant gender differences, except on comprehension knowledge. The differences between above average and below average cognitive abilities were only seen in relation to the concept inventory and not ACS exam scores.","PeriodicalId":93272,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry Teacher International : best practices in chemistry education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45473612","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Frontiers of research in chemistry education for the benefit of chemistry teachers","authors":"R. Blonder, S. Rap, R. Mamlok-Naaman","doi":"10.1515/cti-2023-0041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cti-2023-0041","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":93272,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry Teacher International : best practices in chemistry education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45083067","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The rise and fall of the phlogiston theory: a tool to explain the use of models in science education","authors":"R. Mamlok-Naaman","doi":"10.1515/cti-2023-0025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cti-2023-0025","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The phlogiston theory was established around 1700 and lasted for about one hundred years. According to the Phlogiston Theory, phlogiston is released during heating processes, and the remaining material becomes lighter. The demise of this theory started with Lavoisier’s new insights into the phenomena of chemical reactions in general and combustion in particular, as well as about the composition of air. The rise and fall of the Phlogiston theory is a good example to the process of the replacement of one theory by another, due to new facts and new discoveries. In addition, it stresses the advantages and limitations of scientific models and theories, as well as the nature of science. A brief program, planned for two lessons, was developed around the Phlogiston Theory, in the framework of teaching and learning the “Science: An Ever-Developing Entity” program. Semi-structured interviews with teachers and students were conducted after the completion of the Phlogiston topic. Based on the findings, it is suggested that the brief program, reached its goals. The students, who studied the program, learned more about the scientists – their curiosity and their boldness, as well as about the scientific endeavor, consisting of discoveries, models and theories.","PeriodicalId":93272,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry Teacher International : best practices in chemistry education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47823196","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"ChemDive – a classroom planning tool for infusing Universal Design for Learning","authors":"Monika Holländer, I. Melle","doi":"10.1515/cti-2022-0039","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cti-2022-0039","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The increasing diversity in todays’ classroom environment is a general challenge for modern societies and requires also for future chemistry teachers specific professional training. For that reason, the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is part of our university’s master program. It is designed as a framework for an approach which also serves to make chemistry lessons more accessible. However, while implementing the UDL in the specific planning of chemistry lessons problems might often occur. Therefore, based on the UDL and on established approaches to lesson planning in chemistry education we have developed the planning tool ChemDive (Chemistry for Diversity) with different functions, allowing teachers to practice the effective planning of more accessible lessons. ChemDive is taught as part of a master’s degree seminar in preparation for a semester-long practical phase at school. We carried out the evaluation in chemistry teachers’ training in addition to the development of the tool. The study is designed as an intervention study with repeated measures at the beginning and the end of the seminar. Initial results of the quantitative evaluation (during the seminar; pre-post) of lesson planning show that students implement significantly more UDL elements after being taught the planning tool than they do without.","PeriodicalId":93272,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry Teacher International : best practices in chemistry education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41386665","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Are you teaching “distillation” correctly in your chemistry classes? An educational reconstruction","authors":"Simone Abels, B. Koliander, T. Plotz","doi":"10.1515/cti-2022-0034","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cti-2022-0034","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Distillation is often taught at secondary level in chemistry classes. There are, however, several pitfalls in teaching and learning the topic. First, there is not enough accessible research on students’ conceptions regarding distillation, which makes it difficult for teachers and teacher educators to teach accordingly in school or university. Second, the scientific explanation of distillation, especially the separation of liquid-liquid mixtures, is much more complex than represented in school books or other learning material. Third, teachers understandably rely on the representation in school books and other materials when teaching distillation, so that inappropriate concepts may be transferred to students. In this article, we follow the model of educational reconstruction and illustrate with reference to chemistry textbooks, school books, our own research results, and other studies on students’ conceptions the three pitfalls named above. Thus, this article aims to provide support for teachers and teacher educators to structure lessons on distillation based on scientifically appropriate information and with regard to students’ conceptions.","PeriodicalId":93272,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry Teacher International : best practices in chemistry education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43581088","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"What makes representations good representations for science education? A teacher-oriented summary of significant findings and a practical guideline for the transfer into teaching","authors":"Büşra Tonyali, Mathias Ropohl, Julia Schwanewedel","doi":"10.1515/cti-2022-0019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cti-2022-0019","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Existing instructional materials for chemistry offer a huge range of different external representations that can be used by chemistry teachers to support students’ understanding of chemical concepts like the concept structure of matter. In science, different kinds of representations are usually combined forming multiple external representations. Examples are combinations of texts, pictures, figures, diagrams, graphs, tables, schemes etc. However, these multiple external representations often have problematic features and/or do not meet students’ subject-related learning needs. For example, many external representations do not take different representational levels into account and/or mix information on the macroscopic level with those from the submicroscopic level. Such representations have the potential to favor students’ misconceptions who often struggle with separating different representational levels. Therefore, it is important to highlight crucial characteristics of external representations that potentially facilitate students’ learning of chemical concepts at lower secondary schools (age group 10–14). When chemistry teachers consider and reflect crucial characteristics of representations and adapt existing external representations or develop new ones, these new representations can become powerful cognitive tools helping to make instruction in chemistry more effective and coherent. This article answers the question What makes representations good representations in science education? by describing features of effective learning with decisive characteristics of multiple external representations and highlighting these characteristics by means of concrete examples from chemistry learning. Finally, an online tool will be outlined that can help teachers to improve multiple external representations for use in chemistry classes.","PeriodicalId":93272,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry Teacher International : best practices in chemistry education","volume":"133 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41288429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A new online resource for chemical safety and green chemistry in science education","authors":"S. Tveit, Karoline Faegri","doi":"10.1515/cti-2022-0031","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cti-2022-0031","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Science and chemistry teachers often feel that they have insufficient knowledge about the legal requirements concerning proper handling of chemicals. To help teachers and technicians, we have developed an online resource with information and tools for the various aspects of chemical safety, such as legislation, risk assessment, storage, labelling and waste handling, including a framework for routines and training for staff and students. Additionally, the resource introduces the concept of green chemistry, an emerging field within chemistry education, and provides examples on how teachers could work with green chemistry principles in the science and chemistry classroom. The aim is that this extensive online material, covering the most important aspects of health, safety and environmental work in school science education, can serve as a useful resource for school leaders, teachers, technicians and science teacher educators in their work with these issues. The resource was developed by partners from the Universities of Helsinki, Ljubljana, Oslo, and Stockholm and co-funded by the Erasmus+ program of the European Union. The content is published in five languages and is freely available at https://chesse.org.","PeriodicalId":93272,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry Teacher International : best practices in chemistry education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42579017","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}